What would cause two different brands of refractometers both calibrated with RO water to have different readings, then different readings with calibration fluid ?
Well I have the Red Sea , the D D and Apex and they all read slightly different so I guess there must be a certain margin of error and they can be very sensitive especially the Red Sea one
I have always used the Red Sea as primarily so calibrate Apex to match this.
Consistency is the key, so pick one and stick with it.
Refractometers are finicky little pieces of equipment. I’ve had three of them and they would all give different readings immediately after calibration using the EXACT SAME calibration fluid. I found that they are all highly dependent on how hard you press the plate in place. This is the reason I switched to the Hanna salinity checker when I started up my latest tank.